The Clippers went for the sure thing this offseason. They want to compete now, so instead of developing young talent or going for upside, they brought in veterans to round out their roster. They wound up with a pretty deep team with a lot of experience. Who are currently all hurt in minor ways.

From the Times:

Odom, Grant Hill and Chauncey Billups didn’t practice Thursday.

Odom took a break because of his knees, but Del Negro said, “He’ll be fine.

“Grant is nursing some things, Lamar is nursing some things and Chauncey is picking his spots,” Del Negro said. “We’re a much different team when you add those three guys to our roster. So hopefully we can get them as healthy as possible and as quickly as possible to get some practice time.”

Now none of this are serious. And Billups’ injury was pre-existing. But this is the problem with the approach. If you have depth that has injury concerns, is it really depth? Billups has been busting his backside to get back on the court, though. With Hill, he’s had injury issues everywhere except Phoenix with their technowizards. And Odom’s problems are a whole other deal.

The Clippers should be fine, but it’s not really what you want to hear this early in the season.

I hammered Andre Drummond’s draft prospects. Physically he was incredibly gifted. But we’ve seen so many talented athletic big men flame out because of the mental game, and that part was of massive concern. Not just from media, but scouts, draft experts, the works. He was worth the risk for the right team. But none of the teams really seemed to be in a position to make that gamble, not even Detroit. It wasn’t that I thought Drummond would bust out, that he was worthless. It was that the concerns with him outweighted the chances of production, short and long-term.

It’s preseason. That’s what I keep telling myself. Over and over again. Because in preseason, Drummond has looked fantastic. Observe:

Greg Monroe has said this week that mentally he has a long way to go. And defensive rotations are going to be pivotal for Detroit, because they’re not loaded with offensive weapons. But his timing has been good, his ball-handling has been good, his tenacity has been good, and most notably, his focus has been good.

We’re a long way from there. But for all the useless knowledge to come out of preseason, it’s worth looking at the fact that Drummond is looking much better than a lot of people, myself included, thought he would, especially this early.

When the Timberwolves decided not to give Kevin Love, All-Star, dominant rebounder, scorer, and best player on the team the max extension of five years, smart basketball fans largely had the same reaction:

“Why in God’s name would you not give Kevin Love the five-year max?”

The answer lies somewhere in the bowels of the Wolves’ front office and their relationship with Love, as well as their desire to hold onto the five-year extension in case they want to give it to Ricky Rubio should he prove eligible and worthy.

Love talked pretty openly about being disappointed with the decision, and it continues to boggle the mind why this worked out his way. In an interview with the National Post, Love talked about that whole experience, and says he’s over it. After, you know, not being over it for a full paragraph.

“That’s because I wanted to be here,” Love said, slapping his hand on the arm of a chair to stress the point. “I wanted them to say, ’When people think Minnesota Timberwolves, they think Kevin Love.’ And I felt with my contract we didn’t really do that.”

Owner Glen Taylor and president of basketball operations David Kahn wanted to keep maximum flexibility with the payroll. So they were hesitant to offer the five-year maximum to Love or any other player, for that matter.

“There’s a lot of stuff behind the scenes that people didn’t know about and they will never know about,” Love said. “A lot of people looked at me and said, ’Oh, he doesn’t want a four-year deal?’ No. I wanted to be the guy. I wanted to be THEIR guy. The fact that I worked as hard as I possibly could and made my mark in many different ways, even after last season, I felt I was a little bit slighted. At this point I’m past that now.”

This is going to be an issue when the three years is up (he signed for four years with a player option in the fourth year). The Wolves are going to have to pony up and by that time, if things haven’t turned around as far as winning, Love will be gone. Splitsville. Adios. The money is always hugely important for players but it’s not the only thing.

Love goes on to say that his disappointment has been quelled by the additions to the team. They’re better. They should make the playoffs this season, provided Rubio gets back to at least 75% of himself. But that won’t be enough. They have to go from terrible, to bad, to pretty good, to a playoff team, to a contending team. And there’s not a super amount of time for that. The Wolves could have bought themselves more time, but chose to go in a different direction. It’s on them, and Love, to make sure the mistake doesn’t turn out to be fatal for the franchise.

Kobe Bryant has been accused of being a bad teammate for his behavior by Smush Parker, who Bryant said was a bad teammate because he sucked. In response, Bryant has posted on FaceBook a brief message about leadership. It is one of the most Bryant things you’ll read, even if his publicist team likely wrote it.

Leadership is responsibility.

There comes a point when one must make a decision. Are YOU willing to do what it takes to push the right buttons to elevate those around you? If the answer is YES, are you willing to push the right buttons even if it means being perceived as the villain? Here’s where the true responsibility of being a leader lies. Sometimes you must prioritize the success of the team ahead of how your own image is perceived. The ability to elevate those around you is more than simply sharing the ball or making teammates feel a certain level of comfort. It’s pushing them to find their inner beast, even if they end up resenting you for it at the time.

I’d rather be perceived as a winner than a good teammate. I wish they both went hand in hand all the time but that’s just not reality. I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.

This is my way. It might not be right for YOU but all I can do is share my thoughts. It’s on YOU to figure out which leadership style suits you best.

Now, let’s compare that to a fictional leader who was criticized for his unpopular decisions.

Col. Jessep: *You want answers?*

Kaffee: *I want the truth!*

Col. Jessep: *You can’t handle the truth!*

[pauses]

Col. Jessep: Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.

Look, there are two ways most will look at it. You can look at it from a “the ends justify the means” perspective, which always works out great in our society, and note that Bryant’s way has won five more rings than a lot of great players ever won. He’s a winning winner who wins, and everyone else just doesn’t understand his devotion to winning. The FaceBook post above was his way of saying “Yes, I’m a bad teammate, because my team needs to be a bad teammate, and in that, way, I’m a good teammate.”

Most people who have played with Bryant avoid the subject like the plague. They’ll usually just say “He’s so competitive, that’s great to be around and I learned a lot.” And Bryant has taken players under his wing before. But there are small moments in print, here and there, that largely reinforce what Parker said about Bryant, even if they didn’t react as negatively. And yet, those players wouldn’t want to give up their championship rings. It’s just what worked out.

The other way to look at it is that Bryant’s a bad teammate. He just is. He’s too critical, too domineering, sets his standards too high with an itchy trigger finger on his gavel of judgment. But he’s so good as a basketball player that how he is as a teammate doesn’t hold the team back. He’s not going to lift a bad team, like the 2006 Lakers, but he’s going to raise a good team to greatness, like the 2010 team.

If you think being a player who contributes the most to winning a championship inherently makes you a good teammate. If you believe that being a great teammate isn’t a part of being great, he can not be a great teammate.

Nothing will change the fact that he has five rings, is in good shape to tie Jordan at six, and is one of the best NBA players of all time. Being nice has no part of that description.

Additionally, not for nothing, but Bryant’s line of thinking is eerily similar to how a supervillain justifies his actions when he’s threatening to blow up the world. Just saying.

T-Mac has left the league he excited, dominated, disappointed, and called home for over a decade. He’s headed to China, and in that decision comes a departure from the NBA which he has been a part of the tapestry of his entire career. McGrady took to FaceBook recently to thank some people and some fans. From his FaceBook posting:

There are times in life that a new road presents itself and it appears this time has come for me now. I am so proud of what I have accomplished these past 15 years playing in the NBA. It was a dream entering the league as I just turned 18 years old. I worked hard and poured my heart and soul into this game. I consider myself a student of the game as I have watched, studied and played with and against the best players in the world. The NBA was my University and I learned so much. The gratitude I feel is really immeasurable. I have experienced the best moments a player can experience and have had some dark ones too. Both equally important in helping shape me into the man I am today.

As I leave the league for now, there have been so many profound people who inspired me along my way. I have to say thank you for guiding me and having an enormous influence on the way I played basketball. Isaiah Thomas, Rich Devos, Leslie Alexander and John Gabriel, you believed in me and I thank you. Jeff Van Gundy, you exemplified the brilliance of what a great coach is. Steven A. Smith, you gave us players a voice and for that I thank you. Doug Christy, Charles Oakley, Dee Brown, Mugsy Bogues, Antonio Davis, Dell Curry, Kevin Willis, you all showed a young kid from Auburndale Florida how to be a better player. Kobe, you made me work harder and it was an honor to play against you. And Yao, we shared an experience together that will always be with me, thank you. Sonny & Pam Vaccarro showed me how there is loyalty and genuine friendship in this business. Arn Tellem and Tim Hoy, 15 years and you are still my agents. Thank you for guiding me throughout my career. When all is said and done, there is so many that made an impact on my life. I am one blessed man to have the love and never ending support of my wife CleRenda and the best 4 kids a man can ask for. But most important, I give glory and thanks to God. It is thru Him that I have been so blessed and I am forever thankful.

As I enter this next chapter, I am excited to play for Qingdao Eagles in China. I have been to China several times in the last few years and I love the people and the country. It will be an honor to play for them. Thank you to every fan that has followed me and believed in me. Injuries and all, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I am proud of the mark I left on this game and am grateful to have been a part this league. It was a dream to play in front of all of you, each night, in every stadium. Thank you.

Pretty classy by McGrady, and the fact that Isiah Thomas remains such a positive figure in players’ lives should say something about his influence on the league.

McGrady is going to be a monster star in China, he already had a huge following there based off the Rockets’ popularity during the Yao Ming era. There are already photos on his Facebook page showing a crowd welcoming him. It’s a different world but not a bad way to make a living and expand his business prospects. But it doesn’t change the loss of McGrady from a historical perspective. He was a huge part of this league for much of the early 00’s and while he’ll be most remembered for the playoff humiliations of the Rockets teams, his MVP-caliber time with Orlando shouldn’t be overlooked.